Scraper



Jan. 14, 1941. R. GADDIS S CRAPER Original Filed Jan. 28, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 1 1N VENTOR. R0) 6600/5 R. GADDIS- SCRAPER Jan. 14, 1941.

Original Filed Jan. 28, 1957 2 SheetsSheet 2 INVENTOR. R0) WIDE/s %p7.-\TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 122,782, January 28,

1937. This application February 24, 1940, Serial No. 320,876

Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in earth moving devices such asscrapers and the like and has particular relation to a device adaptedfor removing ice and snow.

It is the usual practice in removing snow and ice from roadway-s,streets, and the like, to employ scraper blades or plow blades. adaptedto pick up the material from the roadway and roll it over and over untilit is discharged from the end of the scraper blade.

However, such devices are not satisfactory for the reason that thecutting edge of the blade presents a relatively large area such that'thetractor or truck or other prime mover cannot drive the cutting edge intothe ice to break it away. Too much power would be required for doingthis. The pressure applied in this manner is relatively even pressurewhich is readily resisted I by the ice.

I have discovered that percussive force and successive blows on aplurality of sharp points may be applied to remove ice from roadways andthe like with much greater facility and with the expenditure of onlysuch power as the ordinary scraper requires. I

It is a well known fact that in order to chip a cake of ice, the thinsharp pointed ice pick is much more effective than a blunt instrumentsuch as a hatchet or hammer or instrument of like nature for the reasonthat the sharp-pointed, thin-sectioned instrument readily splits the icein its planes of cleavage, whereas the edge of the broader facedinstrument strikes a wider section of the plane, making splitting muchmore diflicult.

In accordance with my invention the contact, between the ice removingdevices and the ice is a series of relatively short, individually movingline contacts. These line contacting members act on the ice with rapidlyvarying pressures amounting at times to percussive blows and may movefrom side to side to seek the most ready line of means for applyingpercussive force in pointed instruments adapted to split the ice.

It is accordingly a general object of my invention to providea new andimproved ice and snow removing device.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide means for splittingor crackingthe ice on a road surface to facilitate its removal.

Another object of my invention is to provide a percussive instrument forice removal.

Another object of my invention is to provide, in

- attached to the scraper blade.

an ice removing means, means for causing or permitting irregularapplication of force to the contacting instrument or cutting pointswhereby ice may readily be split off.

Another object of my invention is to provide 6 means for attaching anice removing device constructed according to my invention to a scraperblade or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide an ice removing devicewhich may be readily attached '10 to cooperate with a scraper blade.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for splitting icefrom a roadway such that the power of the prime mover is applied to thesplitting instrument in a series of percussive blows of very shortduration and at many points in succession whereby the full power of theprime mover will be applied at any particular instant at only arelatively few points.

Other and further features and objects of theinvention will be moreapparent to those skilled in the art upon a consideration of theaccompanying drawings and following specification, wherein are disclosedseveral embodiments of 'the invention, with the understanding, however,that such changes may be made therein as fall within the scope of theappended claims, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

' In said drawings: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the front 80end of a truck, having a scraper blade pivotally engaged for verticalmovement on the front of the truck, and of an ice removing deviceconstructed according to one embodiment of my invention,

Figure 2 is a view in perspective of the scraper blade shown in Figure'1, "but in enlarged relation.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation of a cracker or cutting bar constructedaccording to one embodiment of my invention.

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section of acutting bar constructed according to another embodiment of my inventionas it appears when mounted on a scraper blade, the blade being shown insection, and Figure 5 is a view in elevation of a clamping means usedfor assisting in clamping and holding the channel members on the face ofthe mold b08111.

Referring now to Figure 1 there is shown at l0, generally, a vehiclesuch as truck on which a scaffold or framework ii has been mounted infront of the radiator thereof. This scaffold is provided with a platformat l2, a lever l3 and a hydraulic Jack H for raising and lowering thelever l3 A scraper blade or backing plate I6 is attached to a suitableframework at the front of the truck which permits adjustment up and downof the scraper blade to vary the depth of out thereof. Vertical movementor adjustment of the scraper blade is secured by means of cables [1engaged to the free end of the lever arm l3 and to the scraper blade.

In the preferred form of the invention I utilize an ice "cracker bar 2|having a pointed end 2|a, which is adapted, in use, to bear against theice to crack it or split it from the ice on the roadway. I preferablyuse a plurality of these bars 2| and it is by the use of this pluralityof splitting means that I am enabled to continuously split or remove anappreciable section of ice from a roadway or the like which cannot beremoved with ordinary methods. Obviously, any pointed instrumentalitysuch as a bar, round in section and tapered to a point, or likesplitting means, may be employed, but I have found that the bar shapehere shown is most suitable or desirable for the purpose.

Obviously, the splitting instrumentality here shown may be supported inany suitable framework in front of, below or behind a vehicle, such as atractor, a truck, an automobile, a railroad locomotive, a street car, orthe like, but a preferred mounting is that disclosed in .the drawingsand consisting of means for attaching the cracker bar to a scraperblade, such as that commonly employed for snow and ice removal work.

In the embodiment of the invention here shown, the scraper blade or moldboard is represented by the numeral l6 and to this blade I preferablyattach two channel members such as indicated at 22 and 23. These channelmembers are so positioned on the mold board or scraper blade l6 that theedges 22a and 23a bear against the front face of the mold board.

Obviously, the channel members 22 and 23 may be secured to the face ofthe mold board in several different ways. A preferred method isillustrated in the upper portion of Figure 2 and consists in providingthe channel 23 with a pinrality of openings 24 across the face thereofand drilling and tapping the face of the mold board l6 to receive boltswhich are passed through the opening 24. The bolts are drawn up tightlyto hold the channel against the face of the mold board.

Another method of securing the channel 22 to the mold board isillustrated at the lower portion of Figure 2.

In this method of securing the channel 22 to the mold board I employ aplate 28 welded or otherwise secured to the end of the mold board andthis plate 25 is provided with an opening at.

21 therethrough to receive the shank of a bolt. The end of the channelmember 22 is closed off by means of a cap 28 and this cap is centrallyapertured to also receive the shank of the bolt which passes through theaperture 21. The length of the channel member 22 is preferably so chosenthat it is slightly shorter than the length of the face of the moldboard and so that there is a slight space between the end of the member22 and the plate 26 to permit drawing up the end of the channel memberagainst the plate 28 to afford a tight connection between the channeland the mold board, the bolt acting to draw the channel across the faceof the mold board to tighten the hooked connection at the other end ofthe channel which I am about to describe.

The hooked connection at the'other end of the channel 22 is very simpleand amounts, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, to nothing morethan a plate 3| over the end of the channel member 22 having a hook 32at the inner edge thereof adapted to be hooked over the edge of themoldboard I8. When the end of the channel 22 is drawn against the plate23 by the bolt 30 this hook 32 will be drawn against the opposite edgeof the mold board, indicated at I30, to make a hard and fast connectionbetween the channel and the mold board.

In securing the cracker or cutter bars 2| to the faces of the channels22 I preferably employ a plurality of angle members indicated at 33. Ipreferably slot the front face of the channel member 22 and 23 asindicated at 34 and the angle members 33 are provided with openings 36therein and bolts 31 pass through the openings 36 andthrough the slots34 to secure the flange members or angle members 33 to the face of thechannel members 32 and 33. I may, of course, provide as many of theseangle members as necessary to afford a strong, stiff connection for thecracker or cutter bars 2| and it is desirable to use several of theseangle members and six or more are usually employed.

The cracker bars 2| are provided with openings 4| and 42 therethroughand are adaptedto be held in place by means of long rods 43 passedthrough suitable openings in the angle 33 and through openings 4| and42. The openings 4| and 42 are preferably relatively larger than thediameter of the bar 43 to afford a loose connection between the crackerbars and the rod 43 to permit considerable front and rear as well astilting movement of the cracker bars. This freedom of movement is verydesirable for the reason that it permits the points 2|a of the crackerbar to spring back and forth, that is front and rear, and also to movefrom side to side whereby the points 2|u. of the cracker bars canreadily seek the most desirable lines or planes of cleavage of the icesheetsand it is to this permissible movement of the cracker bar pointsto which I ascribe the superior operation of my device over those knownto the art.

It is apparent that, at a given instant, the

point of one of the cracker bars may have just split away the piece ofice with which it has been in contact so that the pressure on one of thebars is entirely relieved, whereas the bar beside may be Just beginningto receive the full thrust of the prime mover by reason of theresistance of the ice in front of it. The reactive force set up in thelast named bar will act to push the bar backwardly against the face ofthe mold board which causes the bar to bounce or rebound to deliver ablow of tremendous force to the point of the cracker bar which willsplit off the ice in front of it. I may facilitate this successiveirregular application of force to a plurality-of points by staggeringthe bars, placing one point to the rear of its neighbor, thus providinga series-of bars with one point advanced, the next one retarded and thenext adjacent bar advanced, the next retarded and so on. This will befound to be of material assistance in assisting to split the ice fromthe roadway, since it facilitates the application of the force of theprime mover to still fewer points.

Obviously, the points of the cracker bars may be made of very hard metalsuch as molybdenum alloys, stellite and the like and such points can bereadilyreplaced by welding or in any other suitable manner.

I have found it most desirable that the points 5 of the cracker bars beapproximately 1 to 3 inches below the cutting edge of the scraper blade,depending upon conditions, for ice removal work and 6 to 8 and 10 inchesfor snow removal work.

10 I may use a series of these cracker bars entirely across the front ofthe mold board, or at spaced intervals along the face of the mold board.These may be spaced in any desirable manner but I preferably employ apipe such as illustrated at 46 which is disposed between one of theflanges 33 and the adjacent cracker bar. For instance, under severeconditions it'might be that only 5 or 6 of the cracker bars would beemployed. Under other conditions /g of the mold board might be providedwith cracker bars.

If desired, an additional clamping means 6i and 82 may be employed toassist in clamping the channels 22 and 23 to the face of the mold boardI 6. Certain of the cracker bars may be 25 longer than others for thepurpose of removing ice from the grooves of street carv and railroad cartracks.

Although a preferred device has been described as a means for splittingice and the like from the roadways, it is quite apparent that it mightreadily be used in smoothing gravel roads or leveling asphalt and likeuses. Likewise, a device constructed according to my invention might beused for removing ice or packed snow from the depressed portions of thestreet car rails which the ordinary and usual scraper blade cannot do.While the'crackers are. shown and described as being mounted on ascraper blade, it is apparent that any suitable backing plate wouldaccom- 40 plish the purpose of backing up and "bouncing the crackers. orthe like may be used instead of the truck shown.

I preferably make the cracker bars 2| doubleended so that, as one pointbecomes worn, the bar or rod 43 may be removed and the cracker barreversed to present a new point. The cracker bars may be curved at theirends as illustrated in Figure 3 or may bestraight as illustrated inFigure 4, for other types of snow and ice removal work.

This application is a substitute for my former application 8. N.122,782, filed January 28, 1937 and abandoned December 2, 1938. v .55Although I have described specific embodiments of my invention it isapparent that modifications thereof may be made by those skilled in theart without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the ap- 0 pended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a grading means, a truck, a backing plate mounted on the front ofthe truck, and a pinrality of relatively short cutting means looselysecured in front of the backing plate for bouncing movement withreference thereto.

'- 2.-In a grading means. a truck. a supporting means attached to thetruck, and a plurality of erase-=2 bar loosely mounted on the supportingOf course a tractor, a locomotive means to permit independent movementof the cracker bars with reference to one another to act to split icefrom road surfaces.

3. In a .grading means, a truck, a supporting means attached to thetruck, and a plurality of 5 splitting means loosely mounted on thesupporting means for movement with respect to the truck and sopositioned with reference to the supporting means that varying degreesof pressure are applied to the splitting means while in 10 4. In agrading means, a truck, a support on the truck, and pointedinstrumentalities loosely aflixed to the support and actingindependently of one another to apply varying pressures at 15 varyingangles to material being graded.

5. In a surface cutting means including a truck, a scraper bladesupported by the truck, and a plurality of cracker bars loosely mountedon the scraper blade and projecting below the 20 cutting edge thereofandforward therefrom, the cracker bars being loosely held on the scraperblade whereby they are permitted certain freedom of movement to assistin splitting ice or the like from the surface of a roadway. 25

6. In a grading device,- a truck, a scraper blade supported by thetruck, a plurality of cutter bars and means for loosely attaching thecutter bars to the surface of the scraper blade with the bars projectingbelow the cutting edge thereof. 30

7. In a grading device, a truck, a scraperblade supported by the truck,a plurality of cutter bars and means for loosely attaching the cutterbars to the surface of the scraper blade with the bars projecting belowthe cutting edge thereof, 35 said means including a pair of channelsextending across the face of the scaper blade and means for securingthese channels to the scraper blade.

. 8. In a grading device, a truck, a scraper blade supported by thetruck, a plurality of cutter 0 bars and means for loosely attaching thecutter bars to the surface of the scraper blade with the bars projectingbelow the cutting edge thereof,

said means including a pair'of channels extending across the face of thescraperblade and 45 means for securing these channels to the scraperblade, and means for securing the cutter bars on the channels comprisingangles securedto the faces of the channels and movable lengthwise withrespect thereto, and a rod passing through the angles and through thecutting bars.

9. In a grading means, a supporting means, and a plurality of crackerbars loosely mounted on the supporting means to permit independentmovement of the cracker bars with reference 55 to one another.

10. In a grading means, a supporting means, a scraper blade attached tothe supporting means, and a plurality of cracker bars loosely attachedon the scraper blade and projecting below the so cutting edge thereofand forward said cracker bars thereby being allowed a certain amount ofindependent motion. thereby permittingeaohbartotakethelineofleastresistance during the operation of splittingice or as the like from the surface of the'roadway.

nor oannrs.

